Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 2018

Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2018 is an exceptionally regal, muscular, and masterfully structured prestige Champagne crafted as a historical tribute to the house's most illustrious devotee. Sourced exclusively from ancient Grand Cru vineyards across the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs, this legendary cuvée is dominated by robust Pinot Noir to provide breadth and authority, beautifully balanced by a smaller portion of elegant Chardonnay. Pouring a brilliant mid-yellow gold with an incredibly fine, persistent trail of microscopic bubbles, the nose reveals a complex and commanding bouquet of fresh white flowers, candied tangerine peel, and ginger biscuits, layered over deeper nuances of blond tobacco, roasted hazelnuts, and warm brioche. On the palate, it exhibits a full-bodied, vinous, and expansive framework where a rich, texturally dense core of black plum and blood orange is enlivened by a driving spine of crystalline mountain acidity and a plush, velvety mousse. Having undergone meticulous hand-riddling and extended aging in the coldest subterranean chalk cellars in Épernay, it culminates in a majestic, long finish defined by a stark, mineral-drenched vein of chalk and graphite.

Food Pairing: Pairs brilliantly with roasted capon with morels, butter-poached lobster tails, pan-seared sweetbreads, or 18-month aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

97 Points - Wine Spectator

Like a finely tailored suit, this exhibits impeccable harmony, class and attention to detail. Integrates a firmly structured spine of acidity with flavors of ripe plum, candied lemon peel, lightly toasted hazelnut, brioche and chamomile, caressing the palate with the plush, creamy mousse. Long on the finish, with mineral, graphite and spice hints, this is hard to stop sipping now but should reward those who wait with even greater expression in years to come. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2045.

96 Points - James Suckling

This has complex aromas of croissant, acacia flowers, raw walnuts, flint and oyster shells. Very sleek, tight and structured on the palate, showing elegance and chalky minerality underneath. Seamless, classy finish with a deliciously dry, lightly phenolic citrus pith character coming through. Grand cru pinot noir with some chardonnay. Disgorged June 2024. Drink now or hold.

94 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Disgorged in June 2024 with a dosage of seven grams per liter, Pol Roger’s 2018 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill introduces itself with aromas of ripe pear, candied tangerine peel and peach mingling with dried fruit. On the palate, it is full-bodied, vinous and broad-shouldered, with a rich core of fruit and an ample, textural mid-palate, underpinned by ripe yet vibrant acidity. The wine concludes with a long, enveloping finish. Reflective of the warm growing season with a late-August harvest, this is a giving Sir Winston Churchill—undeniably in the more muscular register, with ample gourmand flesh and a presently blocky density that will reward some patience.